The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-10-20
THE EVERLASTING CRY.
An Old Soldier Protests Against the
Eternal Talk About Rebels.

The war that drenched tie land with blood
is over. 1t closed in 1865. While we can
never forget the war, for one have no desire
to hear it forever harped on. l have no
desire to be continually reminding our south
ern brethren of the part they played and
played bravely in the war. If we had been
born on southern soil and been trained up un-
der southern teachings we should all have
been rebels too. 1 expect l should have been
a very red-hot rebel myself. This everlasting
story and cry about rebels reminds me of a
little story. Long years ago, only remem-
bered by our oldest people, we had good
school here in Burton. 1t was called the
Burton Academy. 1t is said that in the
boarding house of the Academy, one season
when rabbits were very numerous, they were
in the habit of dishing up rabbits at almost
every meal, until the boys became sick of the
dish. One day at dinner, as it was the Gus
tom, one of the students was called on to ask
blessing, and young man who has since
become noted as one of the leading lawyers
of Warren, asked blessing in this style:
"Rabbits young and rabbits old, rabbits hot
and rabbits cold, rabbits tender and rabbits
tough, if it please Thee, o Lord, we've had
rabbits enough!" From that day forward
there were no more rabbits served on that
table. 1 think we, too, have for years long
had quite too much of the one dish ''rebels."
We are sick of hearing constantly of rebels.
As Grant said, 'let us have peace" Brace
men do not keep old sores open in that soey.
None 6At eo1uGyds niH DO so, or men z0Ao far
1 am a member of the Grand Army of the
Republic, and 1 am proud of it. am proud
of Patchin Post and my brethren. Hove and
respect every man of them, although On
many points we differ as widely as we differ
in stature or in countenance. The principles
of the G. A. R. are Fraternity, Loyalty and
Charity: regardless of personal likes or dis
likes, religious or political creeds, we hold to
these principles. As soldiers we are as one
in honor bound, citizens we agree to dis
agree. There are brethren whom greatly love
and who love me as soldier, but it may be they
cannot bear for moment some of my Pecu-
liar views on temperance prohibition, and
political peculiarities- But in our Post there
f can no discord come. If political party
were to invade the sanctuary of the G. A R.,
to try to use the organization for party ends,
then there would be uprising in the or
ganization that would teach the invader that
he was treading on ground too sacred for the
tread of a selfish partisan.-Were we 10
tolerate designing politicians and permit
it them to use US as an organization our
downfall would speedily follow. But we are
not for sale, we not to be made tools Of,
: we are not ready to die as an organization /;
0 not yet. Icensured President Cleveland be-
0 cause he vetoed the dependent pension bill
!, think in that matter the President erred,
! made a mistake. He erred in judgment.
E And where is the man to be found who
D never errs in Judgment Because the Presi-
, dent of the United States sometimes errs In
!, Judgment is that reason why he should be
e assailed and abused as a common felon And
] | by such little puff-balls as Mr.. Foraker. A
: year from now Foraker would give all his
old boots if he could recall and wipe out
. the words and epithets he used against the
n President of the United States. Forakefs
e conduct pleases the faction of the people that
E he runs with, but he forgets the millions who
h as American citizens are quietly looking
i; on, and whose votes quietly dropped into
n the ballot box will express the peoples ver-
d iict on his wicked conduct. And his vetoing
I. of that bill proved one thing that the Presi-
i dent was not currying public favor. He
IS proved that he is no demagogue. Had he
e been seeking popularity at any price he would
have approved that bill Though dihez
N with the President that matter, 1 respect
d him for his manly courage in doing what lie
IS deemed right, even if it lost him many friends
: Take President Cleveland all in all he Is
in my opinion as good President as this
nation has had since the days of Thomas
Jefferson.-Foraker and others are endeavor
ing to make out that President Cleveland
an enemy of the Boys in Blue.
!. don't believe a word of it.
GEO. w. JAoUEs,
r MI. n. NJ 900 n A D Purto1 n